Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 29 June 2023
19. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when he expects proposed changes to employment permit law to take effect; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31651/23]
View answerThe new Employment Permits Bill is continuing its legislative process in the Houses of the Oireachtas. The Bill has been drafted to respond to the need to consolidate existing employment permits legislation, to modernise some provisions, to increase the agility and responsiveness of the system, and facilitate a more streamlined and flexible approach to the employment permits system in Ireland.
The principal features of the Employment Permits Bill include the introduction of a Seasonal Employment Permit to cater for short term and recurrent employment situations in appropriate sectors. The introduction of the option for certain permit holders to transfer from one employer to another within the same sector. The Bill will also move operational detail to Regulations in order to allow for easier modification and adaptation to the changing needs of the labour market.
For increased efficiency there will be amendments to the Labour Market Needs Test, which requires that a role be advertised across the EEA prior to a permit being sought. These amendments will reflect modern advertising practices more accurately, and greater flexibility to amend the periods for which an employment permit can be granted, which can help to reduce the number of applications received and mitigate against the kind of processing delays we have recently experienced.
The Bill includes the addition of new conditionalities attaching to the grant of an employment permit which would increase apprenticeship and training opportunities and, hence, reduce future reliance on the employment permit system. There is also a provision for the automatic indexation of salary thresholds to ensure that the minimum remuneration levels required for each permit type keeps pace with wage growth.
Following Government approval last month, my Department is engaging with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel on drafting the amendments to the Bill to provide for provisions under the Seasonal Employment Permit, and to allow General Employment Permit and Critical Skills Employment Permit holders transfer employer after a prescribed period has passed from the start of their first employment in the State. The amendment will allow these permit holders to transfer employer without the requirement to apply for a new employment permit. The initial period prescribed will be nine months.
Report stage for the Employment Permits Bill 2022 is being scheduled, subject to the completion of the draft text of these amendments. Report Stage is expected during the first weeks after the Dáil summer recess. The Bill will then pass through the Seanad stages in the autumn, with enactment expected towards the end of the year or early next year.
